PASCAL - The boss man
Born in France and raised in England, I’ve got a blunt sense of humour and a hint of occasional wit that, if I’m honest, has landed me in trouble more than once.
I arrived in Galway in 2005. Having worked in the hospitality industry most of my working life, I soon came to realise that working for someone else just wasn’t my cup of… well, coffee!
I’ve worked in some brilliant places, and some pretty toxic ones. Places where shouting was considered management, and stress was simply part of the job and people dreaded coming to work.
“If I ever had my own business, I’d do things differently."
So, in April of 2011, Pascal Coffee House was born, In Edward Square, Galway, followed by Lower Abbeygate Street in 2015. And we do things differently.
Hospitality is busy. Things go wrong. The kitchen gets slammed. Customers complain (sometimes). That’s the job. But none of that is an excuse to make people’s working lives miserable.
We want Pascal Coffee House to be a place where people actually enjoy coming to work. Where you can have a laugh while still working hard. Where managers lead rather than intimidate. Where people help each other out.
In fact, I think the atmosphere behind the counter ends up becoming part of the experience in front of it. When our staff enjoy working together, it shows. You see the smiles, the banter, and ultimately the way they look after you, our customers.
What gives me the most satisfaction about running Pascal Coffee House is not how much money is sitting in the till at the end of the day - obviously, it’s nice when there’s plenty in there, I’m not gonna pretend I’m running a charity - it’s seeing frienships develop between people who met there. Watching someone who started with us as a teenager grow in confidence. Seeing staff genuinely enjoying themselves at work.
And of course, seeing the smiles and excitement on our customers’ faces when The Best Pancakes In Town arrive at their table!
That’s the stuff that make me think we’re doing something right.
And then, there’s the personal touch…
From the menus on the tables, to the photographs on the wall. From the website you’re browsing right now, to the logo above the door. The branding, the graphic design, the photography, the menus, the advertising and pretty much everything else you see has been created by me.
No website developers. No marketing managers. No graphic designers. No professional photographers. Just one man, who clearly has trouble delegating.
So that’s me, doing what I love, the way I believe it should be done.
MARTA - The boss behind the boss
Meet Marta, our amazing General Manager and the heartbeat of Pascal Coffee House! From Poland, Marta’s not just an extraodinary chef, she’s also the “mama” of our team.
Marta has been by my side for the past seven years (at home and at work), and it’s fair to say the place wouldn’t run the same without her.
While I hide behind spreadsheets, invoices, and the never-ending mission of making sure the bills are paid, Marta is where the real magic happens. She’s on the floor, in the kitchen, and everywhere in between, fixing problems before I even know they exist.
Marta’s got a knack for balancing compassion with a bit of tough love. her Polish straightforwardness might come across as blunt sometimes, but it’s always wrapped in genuine care and attention. Staff love her for her warmth, and the occasional (but well-meaning) stern look.
She’s even had a brief, but unforgettable, appearance on the Masterchef series, as testament to her culinary prowess.
So although the coffee is excellent, the Pancakes legendary, and the team incredible… I know that none of this would feel the same without her by my side.
Let’s Talk Pancakes!
Because that’s a big part of our story now.
Believe it or not, Pascal’s wasn’t always about pancakes. We started out as a fairly standard coffee shop, serving sandwiches, soups, salads and all the usual suspects.
Then Covid came along and decided to re-arrange everyone’s plans.
With the cafés closed and fewer staff available, we had to simplify things. I made the decision to focus on one thing I knew we could do really well: Pancakes.
And frankly, I had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.
During lockdown, while the cafés were closed, I personally delivered thousands of Pancake and Brunch Boxes all over Galway. In fact I don’t think there is one single street in Galway City I haven’t delivered to at some point. The response was ridiculous. In a good way.
People loved the Pancakes. Really loved them!
So when we eventually re-opened, there was only one sensible thing to do. Keep making them.
And it worked. The years since Covid have been the most successful in Pascal’s history, with each year managing to beat the records before it.
I don’t say this lightly, because I know Covid was incredidly difficult for some people. But for us, it was a turning point. It forced us to think outside the box, and it paid off.
I’d always been a fan of pancakes (who isn't?), especially with young kids, who are now teenagers. But whenever we went looking for good pancakes, we seemed to always find the same thing: pancakes that looked like they had been introduced to a microwave at some point in their lives.
So I thought.. "if we’re gonna to do Pancakes, we’re gonna to do it right".
Fresh batter made each day in small batches. Each Pancake cooked and flipped to order. Crisp around the edges. Ridiculously fluffy inside. And most importantly, never, ever, pre-made or re-heated!
The Best Flippin’ Pancakes In Town.
Period.
And judging by the queues, the empty plates and the amount of Maple Syrup we go through, I think we might have been on to something.
Fifteen years on, Pascal - Coffee & Pancake House has become a much loved part of Galway’s café scene.
Not bad for a coffee shop that accidentally became a Pancake House!